“How a Man Feels When He is Shot” (from The Youth’s Companion, October 3, 1861; p. 168)

We take the following from a letter written by one of the gallant volunteers, who fought in the battle near Springfield, Missouri:

“I was standing, or rather kneeling, behind a little bush, re-loading my musket, just before the rebels engaged in this close work retreated. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in the shoulder, and fell to the ground. Jumping up, one of our boys asked me if I was hurt? I replied that I thought not, drew up my musket to fire, when he said: ‘Yes, you are shot right through the shoulder.’ I think it was this remark, more than the wound, which caused the field all at once, to commence whirling around me in a very strange manner. I started to leave it, with a half ounce musket ball in my shoulder, and once or twice fell down with dizziness; but in a short time recovered sufficiently to be unable to walk back to Springfield, nine miles where the ball was taken out.”